Fall of Light/Chapter 1
A tale being told The poet, Blind Gallan, once again takes up the story of Anomandaris for Fisher kel Tath. He mulls on the true nature of battle beneath the lies told by poets. Kurald Galain Renarr Renarr's past experiences have led her to seek escape as a camp whore in her adopted father's Legion. For this she is scorned and a rift has come into existence between her and Urusander. As she makes her way through the camp to the Legion Commander's tent, she notes how tensed and excited everyone is for the impending first battle against Lord Ilgast Rend's Wardens of the Outer Reach; the first meeting against the two sides in the Civil War. She meets Hunn Raal and his cousin, Sevegg, as they exit the Commander's tent, and Hunn Raal tries to dissuade her from going before Urusander, claiming that the Commander would not be pleased to see her since she was a reminder of all his failures. She ignores him, and states that he smells of wine; a comment at his general state of drunkenness. Inside the tent, she encounters Lieutenant Serap and Urusander, but is ignored by the latter who departs without saying a word to her. After informing Renarr regarding her general disgust at her behaviour, Serap lets Renarr know that Hunn Raal would be leading the Legion out to parley with Lord Ilgast Rend, since the Commander feared arriving at the head of his legion would prove too provocative. Renarr tells her that Hunn Raal would be the one being too provocative. Captain Havaral As Captain Havaral carries a missive to Urusander for a private parley with Lord Ilgast Rend, he surveys the lay of the land and the way the Wardens are arrayed, and he cannot help but feel troubled; the Wardens were a mounted force, relying upon speed and mobility, while the slope before him was filled with snags and holes which would snap horses feet without much preamble. He reminisces about his career in the Wardens and how he should rightfully be the commanding officer in Calat Hustain's absence. He further acknowledges that he does not find it easy to shrug off the sense of betrayal at Ilgast Rend's usurpation of that role, but he still was not going to complain about it and would follow any order given by the man. He is met by Hunn Raal and his cousin, Sevegg. Havaral sees this as a discourtesy and outright contempt, but still delivers his message for private parley between Urusander and Rend. Raal, however, informs him that the Commander of the Legion had sent him in his stead and that he would be happy to parley with Rend, albeit not privately. Sevegg makes some snide remarks to provoke Havaral, but he leaves the two to carry his message back to Rend. Hunn Raal Sevegg asks Hunn Raal whether he would allow her to cut down the leaving figure of Havaral, to which Raal tells her to calm her bloodlust since he wanted Havaral to carry the message back to Rend so that, in his rage, he would provoke battle against the Legion, by which Raal himself would be absolved of any consequences. Sevegg notes that she will seek him on the battle field. Renarr Standing on a hill from where she could see both armies, Renarr observes the Legion's camp before she witnesses two rival groups of children throwing stones at each other. This ends with a boy's brutal demise, foreshadowing the outcome of the battle moments from commencing. Captain Havaral Kullis, Havaral's subordinate, lets Havaral know of his misgivings regarding the coming battle against the Legion. Despite his own misgivings, Havaral silences him and instructs him to follow Lord Ilgast Rend's commands. Rend then sounds the attack, and Havaral leads his soldiers down the slope to meet the Legion. As he does this he suddenly reminisces about an old lover, which fills him with regrets of paths unfollowed. Sevegg Sevegg is livid as the group of skirmishers led by Lieutenant Altras is moments from annihilation at the hands of the Wardens led by Captain Havaral. When Hunn Raal orders the outer units of the Legion cavalry to move out, she notes that he should have done that sooner if he wanted to safe the skirmishers. Reading her mind, Hunn Raal reveals that his actions were deliberate. She looks on as the two front-lines of the opposing armies finally collide. Renarr Renarr observes the ensuing death and carnage as the two armies collide, noting that while on the initial impact more Legion horses had fallen than the horses of the opposite army, in the end the superior number of Urusander's Legion negated everything else. Captain Havaral Havaral saw the face of his lover on every Legion soldier he cut down. He felt helpless as he saw the troop under his command being used as a sacrificial wall to protect the centre of the Wardens' army. Sevegg Sevegg feels astonished as she witnesses the Wardens nearly succeeding in eradicating the centre of the Legion frontline. Hunn Raal, who chastises her when she — in her fear — tries to unsheathe her sword, commands the foot flanks to be committed to the battle to help turn the tide. When the tide does seem to turn, Hunn Raal, upon Sevegg's request, grants her permission to satisfy her blood-lust, but commands her to also find Ilgast Rend. Captain Havaral As he tries to get free from under the carcass of his horse, Havaral breaks his trapped knee, which causes him to black out. When he regains consciousness again, he observes the carnage of the battle around him. Sevegg, who was on her way to deliver Ilgast Rend to Hunn Raal, finds him amongst the dead. She taunts him of his loss, and, under the impression that he was at the brink of death, offers him the gift of her soft flesh. Havaral uses this to his advantage and plunges a knife through her heart. Hunn Raal Hunn Raal mourns the death of his cousin. He makes plans to keep Serap closer to Urusander for the day the Commander ascends next to Mother Dark. Ilgast Rend, chained and kneeling before him, demands to be brought before Urusander. Raal mocks him for the annihilation of Calat Hustain's Wardens, and refuses his demand. He calls him a traitor and orders his execution. Renarr Renarr watches the whores of the camp go through the pockets of the dead soldiers, and she cannot help but imagine the relief the men, who would seek her out that night, would radiate now that the battle was behind them. A tale being told Gallan interrupts his story to ruminate on the character of Vatha Urusander before irritatedly chastising Fisher for his impatience. Gallan continues. 01